This invention relates to power actuated tools and more particularly to explosively actuated tools for driving a fastener such as a pin into a substrate such as concrete or steel.
Explosively actuated tools which are used to fire fasteners into a hard substrate such as concrete or steel generally have an associated recoil action during which noise resulting from the firing procedure is emitted. Such a tool typically comprises a barrel from which the fastener is expelled by means of the piston driven by detonation of the explosive charge. The detonation of the explosive charge results in recoil of the tool and combustion gasses subsequently being vented from the barrel at high pressure and velocity to thereby generate a loud noise emission.
The invention seeks to reduce noise emissions in power actuated tools.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a shroud for use with a power actuated tool for firing a fastener into a substrate, the shroud being adapted to couple between a main barrel and a slidable front barrel of the tool and being adapted to extend from a collapsed condition when a mouth of the front barrel is positioned adjacent to a substrate into which a fastener is to be fired and an extended condition when the main barrel is in a recoiled position relative to the front barrel after firing the tool, wherein the shroud defines a cavity to at least partially contain noise emission from the main barrel resulting from the tool firing of the tool.
Further according to the invention, there is provided a power actuated tool for driving a fastener into a substrate such as steel or concrete, said tool comprising a housing, a barrel assembly mounted to the housing, and a piston displaceable within the barrel assembly upon firing of the tool to drive a fastener from the forward end of the barrel into the substrate, at least a forward end of the barrel assembly being mounted for axial movement relative to the housing whereby firing of the tool requires the forward end of the barrel assembly to be pressed against the substrate to cause retraction of the forward end relative to the tool housing, said tool further comprising a shroud surrounding the forward end of the barrel assembly to at least partially suppress noise emission resulting from firing of the tool.